Author Topic: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label  (Read 21634 times)

Sailor Con Queso

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Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« on: December 08, 2010, 06:45:21 PM »
My grocery store was out of the Kosher salt that I normally use so I picked out a substitute. It does not contain iodine, but was marked "free flowing". I was in a hurry, making a Stilton, so I used it without reading the entire label. Turns out the free flowing is because of the addition of Sodium Silicoaluminate. This is an anticaking agent that absorbs moisture up to 75% of its weight. It is commonly used in cake mixes, powdered sugar, nondairy creamers, dry cheese products, and lots of various dry mixes. It is slightly alkaline and has no known toxicity. That's a good thing and the Stilton will probably be fine. But I can tell the water absorbing properties REALLY effected the moisture content of that Stilton. Not nearly as much drainage as usual, and the blue is coming on very slowly.

I'll read the label a little more carefully next time.

tananaBrian

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2010, 10:38:03 PM »
Wow... I never thought of that.  Thanks for posting!

FarmerJd

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2010, 11:21:07 PM »
Good tip Sailor. Thanks.

MrsKK

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2010, 11:57:56 PM »
Thanks for the warning, Sailor!

Cheese Head

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2010, 12:49:13 AM »
So you're saying your that because your Stilton had a runny nose/allergies, you gave it a decongestant/antihistamine :o!

Mmmmmm Sodium Silicoaluminate, love how it roles of the tongue, I'll have to open one of those little shipping packages of crystals and try some! While it may not be bad for humans I can't believe it's good as it's not something our ancestors ate for the last 30,000 years. Thanks for the new to me info!

Sailor Con Queso

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2010, 02:12:14 AM »
For what it's worth, it is an FDA approved food supplement used in lots of products. I just don't want it in my cheese. The implications of using a "desiccant" in a cheese are really interesting.

tananaBrian

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2010, 03:44:59 AM »
So you're saying your that because your Stilton had a runny nose/allergies, you gave it a decongestant/antihistamine :o!
<snip>

...Maybe it's a MOLD allergy like I have!  ::) ;D O0

Cheese Head

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2010, 01:35:54 PM »
Eeek, OK I just realized that we have the same "Free Flowing" salt in cupboard and that I have used it on Camemberts before I think!

tananaBrian

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #8 on: December 17, 2010, 06:55:33 PM »
I took a look at the various salts that we have, and sure enough, the ALL have different compounds in them and according to the web, they are mostly in there to reduce moisture in the salt so it won't clump up.  I'm going to start reading the labels more carefully, or just buy genuine cheese salt off the web...

Thanks for the heads up!

Brian

KosherBaker

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2010, 05:42:34 PM »

Sailor is this the salt you normally use? I've been seeing it "on sale" at Whole Foods for the past few weeks at $2.50 per box.

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #10 on: December 31, 2010, 06:54:15 PM »
Ugh.  Have always used kosher salt for a lot of things, with the exception of dusting meats (Bretagne, fleur de sel) and fishes (sel gris) with a light crystal or few just before serving.  I had thought "kosher" meant no additives could be used, but sure enough, the "free flowing agent" is there in Morton's, for instance.   They list themselves as "the only branded coarse kosher salt on the market," but Diamond touts the coarse, additive-free texture.  Thanks for the heads-up, Sailor.

Edited to add:  posted before seeing kosherbaker's post.  Kosherbaker, that is Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and as the link above indicates, Diamond claims this salt is additive-free.  My only question remains, is the "free flowing agent" not legally considered an "additive," as Diamond states "kosher salt contains no additives" and yet at least Morton's very definitely contains the free-flowing stuff, though it is labeled "kosher."  Confused. 
« Last Edit: December 31, 2010, 07:02:18 PM by ArnaudForestier »
- Paul

Sailor Con Queso

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #11 on: January 01, 2011, 06:03:51 PM »
I have been using the Mortons Kosher, but that too contains Sodium Silicoaluminate. I feel that is very deceptive for a Kosher product.

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #12 on: January 01, 2011, 06:08:37 PM »
I have been using the Mortons Kosher, but that too contains Sodium Silicoaluminate. I feel that is very deceptive for a Kosher product.

Agreed.  I've always used it on the presumption it's truly been a "pure," if simple (NaCl) salt. (One of the reasons I like fleur de sel, etc, as a finishing salt is for its trace mineral content, and consequently its complexity/length of flavor).
- Paul

tinysar

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #13 on: March 15, 2012, 07:57:43 AM »
Wow, I wish that our salt had sodium aluminosilicate in it. Well, actually some of it does - and then some of it has this stuff instead:
Quote
Sodium ferrocyanide is a chemical additive known as E 535. It is added to road and food grade salt as an anticaking agent.
Sodium ferrocyanide is a yellow crystalline solid that is soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol. Despite the presence of the cyanide ligands, sodium ferrocyanide is not especially toxic (acceptable daily intake 0–0.025 mg/(kg body weight) because the cyanides are tightly bound to the metal. However, like all ferrocyanide salt solutions, addition of an acid (a hydrogen donor) can result in the production of cyanide gas (HCN), which is toxic.
Lovely. Just what I want in my low-pH cheese  ::)

Aargh! Why is it so hard just to buy clean basic ingredients?!

dthelmers

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Re: Salt, Free Flowing - Read The Ingredients Label
« Reply #14 on: March 15, 2012, 01:17:37 PM »
I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, it is straight sodium chloride, and it clumps a bit. I shake the box to break it up before pouring. In the salt shaker, I put a few grains of rice in to absorb humidity. If I lived in an area where this was not readily available, I'd order it in a big sack. Lots more choice in types of salt when you buy bulk.